Steam iron



July 24, 1962 D. T. KURLINSKI STEAM IRON 5 Shceecs-Sheecl 1 Filed NOV. 18. 1959 July 24, 1962 D. T. KURLlNsKl 3,045,371

STEAM IRON Filed Nov. 18. 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 4

F ig. 2

July 24, 1962 D. T. KURLINSKI STEAM IRON v 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed NOV. 18. 1959 Fig. 5

Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio l Filed Nov. 18, 1959, Ser. No. 853,906 9 Claims. (Cl. lib-77) The present invention relates to steam irons and more particularly to steam irons of the ash boiler type in which the Hash boiler and steam passages which ultimately lead the steam to the ironing surface are in intimate heat exchange with the sole plate in which the heater is embedded. l With irons of the type to which the present invention relates, both the ash boiler and the steam passages are likely to become clogged with lime or other deposits especially Where hard water is used.

According to the present invention both the flash boiler and steam passages are readily accessible for cleaning by theremoval of a small coverplate on the bottom of the sole plate and without the disassembly of the entire iron. Specifically, according to the present invention, the flash boiler is formed by a ledge on the sole plate proper adjacent to the bight of the embedded heating element and an opening is formed through the sole plate' to the rear of the ledge through which a tool may be inserted whereby lime or other deposits formed on the flash boiler may be scraped loose.

Also, according to the present invention, tortuous steam conducting and superheating passages are formed in the bottom face of a downwardly facing recess formed in the bottom face of the sole plate. The steam passages are closed by a closure plate having an upstanding flange extending about its periphery which extends upwardly into a groove which surrounds and is deeper than the steam passages so that the steam passages communicate with the groove inside of the upstanding flange. A crow-foot groove pattern is formed in the face of the sole plate-with the inner end of the feet communicating with the deep groove on the outside of the flange which extends upwardly about the periphery of the closure plate.

In use water is dripped onto the heated ledge Where it is converted into steam and passes through the opening in the sole plate into the space formed by the central portion of the closure plate. The steam enters the innermost ends of the tortuous passages formed in the bottom face of the recess formed in the sole plate proper where it becomes superheated byV heat exchange with the sole plate. Upon leaving the tortuous passages the steam enters the deep groove in which the flange of the closure plate is positioned, passes upwardly over the flange and enters the inner ends of the legs of the crow-foot groove pattern where it is in contact with the surface being ironed.

According to the preferred form of the present invenplate is removed.

According to a slightly modified version of the present invention, the flash boiler is formed on a recessed ledge 6 and the closure plate includes an extension extending upwardly into an opening through the sole plate to the rear of the flash boiler and in effect forms the rear wall of the flash boiler chamber to prevent water droplets from leaving the flash boiler. As in the `first modification tortuous steam conducting and superheating passages are formed in the lower face of a downwardly facing cavity formed in the sole plate.

In the alternate form of the invention the extension is `spaced slightly from the metal of the sole Plate to form 3,@453'2'1 Patented .italy 24., 1962 yIn the second modification the crow-foot groove pattern is omitted and the closure plate is slightly smaller than the downwardly facing recess so as to form an exit opening for the steam about the periphery of the closure plate at which exit the steam comes into contact with the material being ironed.

In each modification the lower surface of the closure plate is positioned slightly above the ironing surface of the sole plate and the space thus formed permits the escaping steam to come into contact with the ymaterial being ironed. Y

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. l is a side plan view of an iron partly in section and showing the details of construction of a preferred form of the invention; l

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the iron of FIG. 1 with the closure plate removed to show the steam passages;

FIG. 3 shows the cover plate removed and facing upwardly;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 4--4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of a modified form of the invention with the closure iplate in place;

FIG. 6 is a segmental sectionalview taken on line 6--6 of FIG. 5; and

FIG.A 7 is a segmental sectional view taken on line 7 7 of FIG. 5.

CONSTRUCTION OF FIGS. 1,-4

Referring to FIGS. l to 4 of the drawings the reference numeral 1t? generally represents the sole plate, 11 represents the cover shell, 12 the handle, 13 the control knob, 14 the reservoir, 15 the fill spout, 16 the water control valve and 17 the heating element. All of the foregoing parts, except the sole plate 10, are of known construction and form no part of the present invention except as they enter into combination with the sole plate arrangement of this invention.

A stainless steel disc 18 is welded, staked or otherwise secured to the sole plate 10. The disc 18 is formed with a semi-spherical seat 19 which coacts withV the semispherical end 20 of valve body 21. The seat 19 and end 20 form a pressure contact joint between the valve body 21 and disc 18 when the parts are in their proper assembled relationship. A

A recess 22 is formed in the sole plate 10 beneath the disc 18. The ledge 23 forms the bottom of the recess 22 and constitutes the flash boiler proper. It is to be noted that the ash boiler 23 is located adjacent to the bight of the heating element 17 so as to be in good heat exchange relationship therewith.

An opening 24 connects the flash boiler chamber 22 with an upwardly extending downwardly facing recess 25 formed in the bottom surface of the sole plate 10. The recess 25 includes a central opening 26 -which slopes upwardly, as shown in FIG. 1, to merge with the opening 24.

Formed in the lower face of the cavity 25 are tortuous passages 27, 28, 29, Sil and 31 which, as shown in FIG. 2, merge with the central recess 26 and also communicate with a peripheral comparatively deeper groove 32 by way of openings 33, 34, 35 and 36. The tortuous passages are in the form of recesses cut in the metal of the sole plate above the cavity 25.

The ironing surface of sole plate 1t) is formed with a crow-foot groove pattern including grooves 37, 3S, 39, riti, 41, 42 and i3 which radiate from the peripheral groove 32. As shown in FIG. 2 the grooves forming the crow-foot pattern get narrower and shallower toward the edge of the sole plate 10.

The recess 25 is closed by a closure plate 44 having a peripheral flange 45 which extends upwardly into the peripheral groove 32 and is spaced from the walls of the groove 32 on all sides to provide a peripheral steam passage 46 which extends upwardly along the inner face of flange 45, across its upper edge and downwardly along its outer face. A lug 47 is formed on the upper face of closure 44 to engage the edge of ledge 23 to prevent endwise movement of closure 44 and a plurality of protuberances 48 are formed about the inner periphery of the groove 32 to properly position the flange 45 spaced from the walls of groove 32 to form the peripheral steam passage 46. Y

The closure 44 is held in place by a single screw 49 and its lower face is positioned slightly above the ironing surface of the sole plate to form a cavity 50 centrally of the sole plate and centrally within the crow-foot groove pattern.

OPERATION OF FIGS. 1-4

The tank 14 is filled with water, the control dial 13 moved to its on position and the valve 16 moved to the position shown in FIG. 1 to open the opening in valve body 21 whereby water will drip downwardly onto the ash boiler ledge 23. Since the ledge 23 is in good heat exchange relationship with the bight of heating element y17 the Water will immediately be flashed into steam.

The steam thus formed passes through opening 24, through the central opening 26, through the tortuous passages 27 to 31 inclusive, Where it is superheated, through the openings 33 to 36 inclusive into the deep annular groove 32, upwardly through passage 46 over the ange 45 and into the crow-foot grooves 37 to 43 and into contact with the material being ironed and also into the space or cavity 50 beneath the closure plate 44 where it also comes into contact with the material being ironed.

It is to be noted that the steam will be superheated in passages 27 to 31 and must pass upwardly over the ange 45 before coming into contact with the material being ironed. For those reasons no condensed water droplets can ever reach the surface being ironed.

It is also to be noted that the crow-foot groove pattern 37 to `43 inclusive and the cavity 50 assures that the steam will contact the material being ironed over a large area beneath the sole plate.

It is also to be noted that upon removal of the closure plate 44 that any lime deposits on the ledge 23 and in the steam passages 27 to 3'1 inclusive may be easily removed by scraping with a suitable tool or otherwise.

CONSTRUCTION OF FIGS. 5 TO 7 Thes sole plate 51 of FIG. 5 is made to be attached to a complete iron assembly as in FIG. 1, with the valve body 21 in contact with the stainless steel plate 52 in the manner shown in FIG.` 1.

A ash boiler ledge 53 having an upstanding wall 54 is formed on the sole plate 51 immediately to the rear of the bight of theheating element 55 so as to be in good heat exchange relation thereto.

An arcuate opening S6 extends through the sole plate 51 to the rear of wall 54 which opens into a downwardly facing cavity 57 formed in the bottom surface of the sole plate 51.

, Positioned within the cavity 57 is a closure plate 58 having an arcuate extension 59 extending upwardly into the opening 56. As shown in FIG. 6, the extension does not quite fill the opening 56 and thus forms a steam passage 60 extending from the ash boiler space 23 across the top of the extension 59 to an arcuate steam passage 61 to the rear of the extension 59. The extension 59 forms a trap to prevent any water droplets from leaving the flash boiler 53.

Formed in the upper wall of the cavity 57 is a tortuous recess which includes an arcuate recess 62 to the rear of opening 6l and with which the opening 61 communicates, a rearwardly extending recess 63 and tortuous recesses 64, 65, 66, 67, 68 and 69 which communicate with the rearwardly extending recess 63.

The closure plate 58 does not completely till the cavity 57 so as to form a peripheral steam passage 70 extending about the periphery of the closure plate 58' and into which the tortuous steam passages 64 to 69 open by way of openings 71, 72, 73, 74, 75 and 76.

A space 77 is formed beneath the closure plate 58 which is held in place by screws 78.

OPERATION OF FIGS. 5 TO 7 Steam formed on the ash boiler 53 passes backwardly across the top of extension 59 through passage 60, downwardly through arcuate passage 61 into recess 63 backwardly through recess 63, through tortuous recesses 64 to 69 and openings 71 to 76 into the peripheral passage 70v and enters the space 77 where it cornes into contact with the material being ironed.

The steam becomes superheated in recesses 63 to 69 so that no water droplets will reach the space 77.

When the steam boiler 53 and steam passages have accumulated a deposit of lime or other material the closure plate 58 may be removed and the deposit scraped off, a special curved tool being necessary for cleaning the flash boiler 53.

From the foregoing it may be seen that each modification provides an arrangement by which the flash boiler and steam passages may be easily cleaned without disassembling the entire iron but by merely removing the cover plate for the downwardly facing cavity to expose both the steam passages and the flash boiler.

While I have shown and described but two embodiments of my invention it is to be understood that those embodiments are to be taken as illustrative only and not Iin a limiting sense. I do not wish to be limited to the particular structure shown and described but wish to include all equivalent variations thereof except as limited by the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A steam iron comprising, a sole plate, a flash boiler formed in the upper surface of said sole plate, a downwardly facing cavity formed in the lower surface of said sole plate, a through opening formed in said sole plate and extending therethrough from said flash boiler to said cavity, a removable closure plate for said cavity, the outer peripheral edge of said closure plate being spaced from the inner peripheral edge of said cavity to form a peripheral steam passage between the outer periphery of said closure plate and the inner periphery of said cavity and communicating with the face of said sole plate, and a plurality of tortuous steam passages in the vform of recesses formed in said sole plate above said closure plate, said tortuous passages being in communication with said peripheral passage at one of their ends and with said through opening at the other of their ends whereby steam formed in said ash boiler may flow through said tortuous passages and become superheated and flow through said peripheral passage into contact with the material being ironed while in a dry state.

2. A steam iron according to claim 1 in which said closure plate is of less thickness than the depth of said cavity so as to form a steam receiving space beneath said closure plate in communication with said peripheral passage.

5. A steam iron according to claim 2 in which said Hash boiler is in the form of a sloping ledge the upper surface of which is accessible for cleaning when said closure plate is removed.

6. A steam iron according to claim 2 in which said closure plate has an extension extending upwardly above said flash boiler and over which steam must pass to reach said through passage.

7. A steam iron according to claim l in which said closure plate is formed with an upwardly extending peripheral flange extending upwardly into said peripheral passage and over which steam must flow to reach the ironing surface of said sole plate.

8. A steam iron according to claim 1 in which said peripheral passage is deeper than said cavity and said 15 2,625,756

closure plate is provided with a peripheral flange extending upwardly `into said peripheral passage above the upper Wall of said cavity and over which steam must pass in reaching the ironing face of said sole plate.

9. A steam iron according to claim 8 including a crowfoot pattern of grooves formed in the ironing surface of said sole plate and radiating from said peripheral passage.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS,

2,350,452 Envall a June 6, 1944 2,353,426 Morton July 11, 1944 Stevenson et al. Jan. 20, 1953 

